1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier attachable to the receiver hitch of a vehicle, which is adaptable to carry bicycles or cargo and is easily disassembled to a compact stored state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide a carrier for bicycles which can be attached to the rear of a vehicle. Most trucks and sport utility vehicles have a two inch receiver mounted to the back of the vehicle to receive a towing hitch or similar apparatus for towing trailers for boats or cargo. There are many bicycle carriers and other carriers that are adapted to be mounted to a vehicle by providing an adapter between the carrier and the receiver. The receiver provides a secure and stable mounting point for the carriers.
Examples of some of these carriers are shown in U.S. patents, include U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,304 to Porter et al. shows a modular carrier system which includes a plurality of pins, a cargo area and bike supports.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,227 to Steams shows a spaced, upright bike carrier which connects to the bumper of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,590 to Chesney shows a central square tope attached to the ball receiver of a vehicle and further having deployable ground support legs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,584 to Wiley shows a cargo carrier which is received within and mounted to the receiver of a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,906,015 to LaCroix, 5,067,640 to Gaskill and 5,586,702 to Sadler show other arrangements for vehicle mounted carriers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,641 to Johnson et al. shows two bike carrying hooks on a horizontal beam attached to a hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,886 to Sickler shows slidable bike supports for a bike carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,927 to Peterson shows a carrier formed by a central beam, and transverse beams, and having pins are shown for connect various parts.
However a major drawback of the prior carriers is that they lack adaptability to handle various types of loads, and are large and bulky and difficult to store when removed from the vehicle. The carrier according to the present invention has taken a flexible, modular approach to the carrier design to allow different accessories to be added to the carrier to enhance the capacity of the carrier to carry cargo, bicycles, or other items. The carrier can also receive supplemental lights about its rear edge for additional safety and can be employed as a picnic table by installing optional legs to the bottom of the carrier. The modular build of the carrier also allows the entire base rack to be disassembled into its elemental pieces and stored in a case measuring 4 inches by 4 inches by 48 inches. The use of simple locking elements to secure the elements of the carrier together allow the entire rack to be assembled or disassembled without tools and in a minimal amount of time.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.